Warm air heating system



March 12, 1935.

W. W, WILLIAMS WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEM Filed April 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 14 141 75/? h JV/LL/fl/VJ ATTORNEY.

March 1935. w. w. WILLIAMS WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1934 INVENTDR. 1 1 41 75/? W. W/LLMMS A TTORNE Y.

atented Mar. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT ic E 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in domestic heating devices and more particularly to such a device employed in warm air heating systems. It is an object of this invention to provide a warm air heating system with a heating element which is simple in construction, inexpen sive, and eflicient in operation. The heating element is particularly adaptable for use with a fluid fuel burner and it mav also be provided with means for heating and distributing hot water for domestic purposes. The circulation of air through the system being effected by a mechanical blower, provision is made whereby the blower may circulate cold air in hot weather and hot air in cold weather.

With these and other objects in view, reference is made to the accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred form of this heating apparatus with parts broken away and with parts in central vertical section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail top plan view of the heating element.

Figure 3 is a' view in side elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in end elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical transverse section taken 'on the line 5-5, Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6, Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the opposite ends of the heating element modified to furnish domestic hot water.

As shown in Figure 1, the heating device is enclosed in a casing 1 resting upon the floor of the building and having a compartment 2 leading to a chamber 3, which in turn is connected to the circulating ducts 4 of the hot air system. A motor-driven circulating fan blower 5 is mounted within a casing 6 separated from the compartment 2. The casing 6 is in communication with the fresh air or return pipes of the circulating system.

- A cylindrical heating element '7 is arranged horizontally within the casing 1 and supported therein in spaced-apart relation to the walls thereof below the compartment 2 and blower casing 6. It is preferable to construct the heating element of cast iron and to provide about its outer circumference a plurality of spaced-apart integral radial radiating fins 8. It is also preferable to provide a plurality of vertical air conduits 9 adjacent one end of the casing 7. In this instance, three of such air conduits are shown in Figure 2. The walls of the casing 7 are continued integrally to form the walls of the air conduits 9, and each flue 10 formed thereby is preferably provided with continuations 11 of the radiating fins 8. The air conduits are preferably equally spaced apart so as to provide similar flues 10. A combustion chamber 12 in the opposite end of the casing 7 is preferably provided with a cylindrical refractory lining 13 extending inward from the open end but spaced apart from the vertical walls 14.0f the air conduits 9. That end of the combustion chamber is formed by a concentric disc or target 15 of refractory material of lesser diameter than the interior of the combustion chamber and equally spaced between the ends of the combustion chamber and the adjacent walls 14 by a plurality of equally spaced spacing members 16 preferably formed integral with the refractory walls 13 of the combustion chamber and target 15.

The end of the heating element containing the combustion chamber is supported within the easing 1 so that its open end opens therethrough. A fluid fuel b'urner 1'7 is mounted on a plate 18, which in turn is secured to the projecting end of the casing 7 to close the combustion chamber 12.

If desired, the discharge of the fluid fuel burner may be surrounded by the refractory material 19 mounted upon the inner side of the plate 18. The opposite end of .the heating element may be supported to extend through the opposite wall of the casing 1 or may be mounted within the casing'l, as shown in Figure 1. As shownin Figure 1, this end of the heating element is provided with a circular plate-provided with an annular flange 20 of a diameter equal to the inner diameter of that end of the heating element, and extending through the walls of the casing 1 to receive a closure 21 in communication with a pipe 22 leading to the stack or chimney of the building. The lower end of the pipe 22 is supported by the clo: sure 21 and if desired may be provided with an automatic draft regulator 23.

The horizontal heating element '7 is mounted in an unobstructed space below the discharge 24 from the fan blower 5. The bottom of the compartment 2 opens into this space surrounding the heating element 7 above the air conduits 9 therein. The heat from the flame of the fluid fuel or chimney. The air discharged from the blower directly surrounding the combustion chamber, passes thereabout, and then rebounds from the bottom of the casing to pass upward through the air conduits 9 and through the compartment 2 to the circulating ducts of the system. While there is illustrated a small opening between the fan'casing 6 and air delivery casing 3 above the heating element '7, the air is discharged from the blower 5 under pressure and follows the line of least resistance, namely, about the cylindrical heating element '7, which is directly in the path of the flowing air, and as the said opening is at one side of the path of the flowing air, a depreciable amount of air may pass therethrough but the main body passes about the heating element 7 as described. The passage ofthe air from the blower 5 about the combustion chamber and then through the plurality of air conduits and about the outer sides of the outer air conduits greatly increases the efficiency of the heating element.

If desired to employ the heat from the heating element as a source of domestic hot water,

it is preferable to substitute for the plate 18, supporting the fluid fuel burner 17, a casing 25, which is provided with an annular chamber 26 and through which the discharge end of the fluid fuel burner 1'7 passes. It is also preferable to substitute for the flange 20 and closure 21 a casing 2'7 provided with an annular chamber 28, as shown in Figure 7. The lower end of the annular chamber 26 is placed in communication with the domestic water supply by the pipe 29, which is preferably provided with a branch 30 communicating with the lower portion of the chamber 28. In a like manner, the upper portion of the chamber 26 is provided with a hot water pipe 31 leading to the hot water spigots in the dwelling and the upper end of the chamber 28 is connected by a pipe 32 to the pipe 31. By this means, the heat from the combustion chamber, as well as the heat as it leaves the perature of the water contained within 'the chambers 26 and 28 and the pressure of the commercial water supply admitted through pipes 29 and 30 force the hot water from the chambers 26 and 28 to the place of use whenever the water is drawn therefrom by the pipes 32 and 31.

If it is desired to employ the air circulatingsystem in hot weather, when the fluid fuel burner is idle, to cool the atmosphere of the rooms, it is preferable to provide the compartment 2 with a coil of pipe 33 through which water from the commercial source may be circulated, or refrigerated water may be circulated, so that the tern-.- perature of the air from the fan blower 55 pass ing thereover will be greatly reduced andthis cooled air will be distributed through the ducts 4 of the system.

The fluid fuel burner 1'7 may be of any commercial form employing a forced draft and is preferably of the electrically operated and controlled type, and may, therefore, be provided with customary controls for regulating the operation of the burner in accordancewith the room temperature of the building. The motor f operating the fan blower may be connected in any desired manner to the commercial source of electricity and may be controlled independently of the fluid fuel burner or may be controlled'in conjunction therewith.

What I 'elaim is:

1. In an air circulating system, a casing inment.

. 5 strikes the upper portion of the heating element eluding a compartment having air delivery outlets at one end, a blower casing containing a circulating blower, and a heating element spaced apart from the first-named casing and supported horizontally therein below the blower casing, said blower adapted to circulate air therefrom about the heating element on its way to the air delivery outlets, and said heating element having a plurality of vertical air conduits passing therethrough below said compartment and through which the circulating air passes.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the heating element is of cylindrical form and is provided with a plurality of equally spaced radial radiating fins.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the heating element is of cylindricalform and is provided with a plurality of equally spaced radial radiating fins, and wherein said flns are continued about the longitudinal walls of the said air conduits.

' 4. The structure of claim 1, including a fluid fuel burner mounted on the end of the heating formed in the heating element by the walls of the air conduits.

6. In an air circulating system, a casing including a compartment having air delivery ducts at one end, a blower casing containing a circulating blower, and a heating element in the form of a metal cylinder open at the ends spaced apart from the first-named casing and supported horizontally therein below the blower casing, said blower adapted to circulate air therefrom about the heating element on its way to the air delivery outlets, and said heating element having a plurality of vertical air conduits adjacent one open end passing therethrough below said compartment and through which the circulating air passes, a closure for the end adjacent the air conduits having a-discharge opening for communication with a stack, a closure for the opposite end supporting a fluid fuel burner, anda combustion chamber of refractory material about the interior of the heating element adjacent the said burner.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein means is interposed between the combustion chamber and air conduits for'deflecting the heatof the burning fuel before passing through the flues formed in the heating elementby thesaid air conduits. 8. The structure of claim 6 wherein means is interposed between the combustion chamber and airconduits for deflecting the heat of the buming fuel before passing through the flues formed in the heating element by the said air conduits, and wherein'said means includes a disc of refractory material spaced apart from the combustion chamber, adjacent end walls of said air conduits ,and inner walls of said heating ele- 9. The structure of claim 6 wherein the end closure of the heating element supporting the a said burner is provided with an annular chamher adjacent the combustion chamber, and means 11. The structure of claim 6 wherein the refor circulating water therethrough for domestic spective end closures of the heating element are purposes. provided with annular chambers and means for 10. The structure of claim 6 wherein the end circulating water through both chambers to be 5 closure leading to the stack is provided with an used for domestic purposes.

annular chamber about the stack passage and v means to circulate water therethrough for do- WALTER W. WILHAMS.

mestic purposes. 

